Since this thread is kinda off topic already, I was talking to another contractor earlier today after the snowstorm about bidding for landscape maint & he mentioned that maintenance prices for commercial are at $22-$25/man hr. He had said (taken with a grain of salt) he bid with a property management company at $25/man hr and didn't land anything. How can you possibly profit at prices like that?! If that's the actual truth, I've definitely been a little bummed through today since hearing that. I always try to think abundance not scarcity (E-Myth Quote) but man that's ridiculous.Posted via Mobile Device

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I highly doubt professional property management companies are going to hire anyone by blanketing a man hour price on anything. They want to know exactly, price per job, how much its going to cost.

My smaller home association i take care of (265 homes) has 9 common's area's(about 100 feet long x 6 feet wide) on both sides of the street and then 50ft long by 4 feet wide between the two streets at each area. 3 large parcels of land along a river and pond(about 12 acres total) and then a couple of cul de sacks (<spelling?).....If i quoted 25 per man hour, it takes up a little over 7 hours to do everything with 2 guys. thats 14 man hoursx 25 dollars per hour=$350 dollars. This would be a little more than 1/3rd what we charge. The account pays $895 per week, We mow 11 lawns in the neighborhood here which fills up the entire day there. My total day gross is around 1300 dollars, and it cots a little under 35 dollars in fuel, and 200 dollars in labor. Not to shabby, but if it was 25 per hour , i would run for the hills. Maybe if you have a 5 man crew, charging 125 per hour for just mowing, MAYBE.

I highly doubt professional property management companies are going to hire anyone by blanketing a man hour price on anything. They want to know exactly, price per job, how much its going to cost.

My smaller home association i take care of (265 homes) has 9 common's area's(about 100 feet long x 6 feet wide) on both sides of the street and then 50ft long by 4 feet wide between the two streets at each area. 3 large parcels of land along a river and pond(about 12 acres total) and then a couple of cul de sacks (<spelling?).....If i quoted 25 per man hour, it takes up a little over 7 hours to do everything with 2 guys. thats 14 man hoursx 25 dollars per hour=$350 dollars. This would be a little more than 1/3rd what we charge. The account pays $895 per week, We mow 11 lawns in the neighborhood here which fills up the entire day there. My total day gross is around 1300 dollars, and it cots a little under 35 dollars in fuel, and 200 dollars in labor. Not to shabby, but if it was 25 per hour , i would run for the hills. Maybe if you have a 5 man crew, charging 125 per hour for just mowing, MAYBE.

But not for a 2 man crew. And FOR SURE not a 1 man crew

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If i had this set up each day for my crew, i would be sitting on my ass, letting a accountant take care of the numbers, a receptionist answer the phones and schedule jobs, and let the crew work for 5k profit per week, but this is definitly my best day of the week! Now i need to figure out a way to get 5 days full of this type of work.!

Looks like I'm going to do my own sorting of the routes,Went to the Post Office website and printed out the route slips. Now I just have to bundle them when they come in.

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That's your best bet. You control it much better. You can delay if weather turns etc. the bundling does not take long that long. I did 20,000 while watching a couple of games over 1 weekend.

Sent my 1st 5000 out. Not a great response so far. My cards landed 4 days before the competition started rolling theirs out. Going to start sending the rest out in batches of 3000 as soon as the predicted rain passes on Tuesday.

Good luckPosted via Mobile Device

"What do you mean we can’t get rid of those weeds in time? Then go over there and put some fancy signs with Latin names in front of them."Walt Disney

That's your best bet. You control it much better. You can delay if weather turns etc. the bundling does not take long that long. I did 20,000 while watching a couple of games over 1 weekend.

Sent my 1st 5000 out. Not a great response so far. My cards landed 4 days before the competition started rolling theirs out. Going to start sending the rest out in batches of 3000 as soon as the predicted rain passes on Tuesday.

Good luckPosted via Mobile Device

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i agree. I sent my first batch out about a week ago and havent seen really any return on it, besides a couple new landscape installs and brick paver jobs from present customers that will keep us busy for the money of april if it ever stops snowing.... The rest of them should have been out today, but its snowing as of right now.... ugghhhh

We have one more storm coming tmrw. Then cold (below freezing) until next Saturday & it will warm up a little bit. I'm over winter! Plowing for 12+ hr stretches on only a couple hrs of sleep is getting to be old, 10 hr days m-f sound & warm weather sound much more appealing ! I haven't had one response from existing clients I sent letters to. Posted via Mobile Device

Graduate - Anoka Technical College w/ Associate's in Hort/Landscape

"If you’re born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor, it is your mistake."

This day last year it was 80 degrees here!!!! I remember it exactly, my friends and I were driving home from FL and I drove the final leg from S WI home and heading NW & W I was sitting in the sun driving just cooking because of the strong, warm sun and we had the a/c on. Man to have that now... 15 degrees now and sunny with a snow storm coming our way tonight through tomorrow afternoon and then 30 mph winds and below zero wind chills. And to think a week and a half ago, I was maybe going to get my postcards out during this week!

Graduate - Anoka Technical College w/ Associate's in Hort/Landscape

"If you’re born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor, it is your mistake."

J contracting.... Are you getting at all nervous how late it is getting? It's almost Easter and still haven't sent out my bulk post cards. With Temps not going to be over 40 degrees for another week, I am debating just getting them out this week if we get a day with out any clouds.

How are you dealing with more snow? We just got 2" of snow again a couple hugs ago and I threw the towel in on plowing the residential. And just did my commercial lots. A good paycheck if I can get everyone to pay by the end of the month!

I am planning to maybe do another eddm mail out mid April to get all the late customers... we aren't hurting for landscape jobs (4-$25k jobs landed in the last week) but the mowing I'm nervous about.

I'd really like to secure two full time guys for the entire year, and make sure I don't have to worry about missing class to work in the fall. Gotta get serious about school (at leased as serious as this business) and start planning my future ten years down the road.